Holden Cruze Problems

Yes, you could approach Holden and present to them a case for reimbursement of the cost of repairs. Transmission problems are common with the Cruze, we have reported numerous in CarsGuide and it’s not an unknown to Holden. The company has in many cases replaced the transmission free of charge, so I think you would have a good case for getting your money back. Having had the repairs done by a Holden dealer should help you with your case. I doubt that you would be successful in getting any extra costs back, such as the hire car, but you could try.

I agree that it is frustrating for such a new car to be troubled in such a way, but I expect Holden will fix it. The company has been pretty good at repairing or replacing faulty transmissions in the Cruze once it has been established that the transmission is the problem. Do as Holden requests, have it towed to your dealer for assessment. I am confident it will work out for you.

Of those you have been looking at I would rule out the Cruze on the basis of its transmission troubles. The Focus and the Hyundai are good cars and would do what you want nicely. Others to consider would be the Mazda3 and the Kia Rio.

I agree with you, it should have been replaced earlier, and under warranty. The automatic transmission in the Cruze has a troubled history, as we have consistently reported. Present your dealer with your car's history of failure and make a formal request that the transmission be replaced at no cost to you. If the dealer won't agree take your case directly to Holden's Customer Care service (Ph: 1800 033 349).

I couldn't recommend either one, both have issues with their transmissions as your homework suggests. I would urge you to look at similar models from brands such as Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Kia.

You should take it to the Holden dealer for the diagnostic check, and to find out how much Holden is prepared to contribute to the cost of repairs. I would guess because you have been doing the servicing yourself that Holden will offer you a lesser amount. But once you know how much they are prepared to pay you can decide on what to do.

It sounds like you want permission to get the Skoda, so go right ahead.

There's only one option and that is to take it to your Holden dealer and have them assess the problem. The automatic gearbox in the Cruze is troublesome and you're not the only one to have trouble. Holden usually comes to the party in repairing or replacing the gearbox, so ask the dealer to request help from Holden when you take the car in.

It depends on the car, but some get better fuel mileage on the higher octane rating if they are set-up to take advantage of it. The best way to determine if it is better is to run it on each fuel and actually measure the consumption.

If there is no error code showing on the computer — and that's common — you're probably getting better service if they're prepared to drive it in search of the fault instead of waiting for it to break down